Mac Miller recently featured in an interview with Fader, talking about his signing to a major label for a rumored eye-watering $10M. It’s a decision likely to split opinion, but at the end of the day, you can’t really fault him for making the choice. And just because he’ll now have a shit load of money, it doesn’t mean his music will all of a sudden turn pop.
Miller is one of the most interesting artists to emerge in the last few years. Crazy, fucked-up, addicted to lean. He’s been all of those things, but he’s also a talented kid both on the mic and behind the boards.
Underneath the persona there’s also an ultra-smart brain with a clear idea of how the modern music industry works. Like others making a comfortable living at a time when most musicians aren’t making any money, Miller has put in work and built up a solid empire. He also has the respect of his peers, which is harder than it should be when you happen to be a young middle class white boy from Pittsburgh.
When you’ve got talent, savvy business skills and a solid idea of what your fans want, then a big contract can mean better music rather than a watered-down, overly-commercial offering.
The candor of the interview alone is telling. Whereas a chat about a contract as big as that with a mainstream artist would usually consist of them bragging about what they’ll do with the money, Miller talks of how it will allow him to have enough budget to do things musically he couldn’t before, all the while keeping laid back about it.
Time of course will tell, but can you really see the man they also call Larry Fisherman in a flashy video dancing with Chris Brown? Us neither. Here’s to hoping we are right.
Watch the video from Fader below:
Mac Miller’s latest mixtape Faces is out now.